Artificial tooth



p 1942- A. WERKENTHIN 2,297,519

ARTIFICIAL {I'OOTH Original Filed Nov. 9, 1957 Patented Sept. 29, 1942 Albert Werkenthin, Berlin wilmersdorf, Germany; vested in the Alien Property Custodian (lriginal application November-9,1937, serialNo. 173,661. Divided and this application May'16, 1940, Serial No. 335,619. -In'Ger'many November 19, 1936 3 Claims.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 173,661, filedNovember' 9, 1937, which resulted in Patent No. 216,425, dated Octoberl, 1940.

This invention comprises im rovements relating to artificial teeth and concerns teeth consisting of porcelain bodies which are united by anchoring members to tooth carriers consisting of metal or non-metallic material, depending upon whether it is a matter of metal Work or rubber work. I

It is an important object of thepresent invention to provide an artificial tooth in which fluids, and more particularly the secretions of the mouth, are prevented from entering between the component'parts of the tooth and the joints for said parts.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an artificial tooth-having no depots of cement, the cementacting as an adhesive only, in theform of a thin film between the solid parts.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an artificial tooth which canbe used both for metal work and for rubber work and can be easily inserted into the tooth carrier by a mere pressing-onmovement, and "then withdrawing therefrom, for the purpose of a trial assemblage of all the parts of the tooth.

A'further object of the invention-is to provide an artificial tooth which, afterb'eingfinally inserted and'cemented, can be removed -by-'drilling, without injuring the tooth carrier.

With thesean'd further objects in view, as may become apparent from the within disclosures, the invention consists not only in the structures herein pointed out and illustrated by the drawing, but includes further structures coming within the scope of What hereinafter may be claimed.

The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by reference -to certain ofits structural forms, as illustrated by the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of a porcelain body fitted with a unitary anchoring block.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 0 in Fig. 1, but showing the porcelain'body mounted on a carrier.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of 'a porcelain body \I Cir mmberof the artificialtooth' is provided with a substantially unitary 'hard'metal block pin-anchored to the rear face of the facette and projecting substantially perpendicularly from this rear face, and said facette and hard metal block unit is tightly closed'on all sides against penetration of fluids.

The manufacturing production of the porcelain body may be further simplified, in that it is sufi'lcient for the metalblock to be anchored in the porcelain material with one pm only, provided that this pin or its anchoring members have a shape which prevents turning movement of the pin, and consequently of the metal block, in relation" to the porcelain body.

The metal block is advantageously of rectangular form,be'cause"the mounting in the enclosing body, or'the fitting of an enclosing body to be produced by the dentist; can then beprformed in the most simple fashion. It is best'forthe rectangularly shaped block to have the same widths and depths in all cases'and for 'its' length only to'vary according'to the dimensions, particularly the width, of the "porcelain body. It then remains fundamentally immaterial whether or not the principal dimensions of the block extend in the same direction as the principal dimension of the porcelain bo'dy. Thus, the block may 'lie either transversely 'or'longitudinally in relation to the porcelain body, depending upon whether the tooth is very narrow or has sufficient width. 7

Teeth constructed in'accordance with this invention may be employed'both for crown and bridge Work (also for metal plates) and also for rubber work wherein the porcelain bodies are vulcanized on to a palate plate. For this latter case, however, a change is preferably made in that undercut surfaces are provided on the block, so that the'block is then anchored in the vulcanized rubber,for example after'the'fashion of a dovetail. Teeth serving this particular purpose may be supplied from the start with undercut block-sides. The production of these undercuts, however, may be equally well left to the dentist who has available the tools necessary for the purpose. l*"or'example, he can produce the undercuts at the sides by means of a fret-saw. He may also himself cut out,for example, a dovetail recess from the block in 'which case'it is certainly to be recommended thatfsuchporcelain bodies should be selected having blocks fixed in the porcelain material with two pins in order to avoid any excessive stressing of the block or its anchoring means. If the porcelain tooth-body is supplied from the manufacturers with a block provided from the start with a recess or recesses, it is naturally suitable initially only for rubber work. If, however, it is desired to use it for metal work, that is for crown and bridge work, then a hard metal body of suitable shape must be inserted in the recess in question, with or without the use of binding agents, in order that the block shall again fill the whole empty space in the enclosing body necessary for metal work. Such complementary bodies may also be supplied at the same time, for example as fitting pieces for recesses of dovetail shape. For rubber work, on the other hand, the metal block, without a separate enclosing body, may be vulcanized to a palate plate, whereas for metal work an enclosing body is employed.

Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, and first to Figs. 1 to 3, it will be noted that a porcelain body or facette I has secured to it by anchoring pins 2 for instance cemented in the porcelain body I, as at 4, a unitary metal block 3 located closely against the rear face of the porcelain body.

As is evident from Fig. 2, an enclosing body II which is forced or cast into the metal toothback I is disposed over the block 3. The connection of the block 3 to the enclosing body II and consequently to the metal tooth-back I0 is effected simply by cementing surface to surface.

The enclosing body ll made of platinum, platinum-gold, palladium-silver, or cadmium, may be constituted by a hollow body of rectangular shape open at one of its surfaces only, which body may be supplied by the manufacturers at the same time as the porcelain body I, to suit the particular lengths of the block 3. However, the dentist may make it himself and it is sufficient to employ a length, open at both ends, of a U-section bar or strip of suitable metal. If, however, an nclosing body closed at the end faces is desired, then the two end faces may also be closed by simply applying at each end a small plate of the same metal shortly before the modelling in cast wax.

In Fig. 4, the block 3a is provided with a dovetail recess 20 which serves for keying or anchoring to rubber for example, without an enclosing body II. If it is desired to employ this tooth for crown or bridge work, wherein the embedding in the tooth back is effected with the em ployment of an enclosing body ll, then the recess 20 must be refilled by a complementary body 2| of suitable shape with or without the use of a cement or binding material.

In Fig. 5, recesses 22 are formed in the end faces of the block 3b. These recesses may be, for example, perpendicular to the rear face of the porcelain body, but preferably they are disposed horizontally as shown at 22a in Fig. 6. In the example illustrated, the recessses 22 or 22a, respectively, have the form of a hollow cylinder let into the ends to say three quarters of the total volume of such cylinders. Also in this case, direct anchorage in rubber may be effected with sufficient security, whereas, in the case of the use of the tooth for crown and bridge work, these empty spaces must be filled, for example by means of suitably dimensioned pieces of wire 23 or 23a, respectively. The part of the wire projecting beyond the side faces of the block may then be filed away by the dentist if appropriately shaped pieces have not been supplied from the start.

Metals for the production of the shaped hard metal parts or the securing members are for example gold, palladium-silver, nickelin or a special brass (Randolf type). All of the parts may be made of the same material but this is not necessary. As it is frequently important to work in such fashion as to save labour and expense, which is readily possible in accordance with the invention, the shaped parts and/or the securing parts might be made, for example, of special brass or 16 ct. gold and the enclosing bodies of cadmium. If the shaped parts are made of palladium-silver, the enclosing body might be made of the same material. If the shaped parts are made of 16 ct. gold, the enclosing body may also be made of platinum. In the casting, cadmium is replaced by gold. Palladium-silver must be used for palladium-silver and platinum for high value gold casting. The use of gold and platinum would merely be somewhat more expensive than the use of the other metals mentioned. This, however, has no great importance with the construction in accordance with the invention because there is a considerable saving of labour in the production of the block or beam, and of the connection generally, as compared with the known kinds of connection.

The method and apparatus of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited by such specific reference but is broader in scope and capable of other embodiments than those specifically described and illustrated in the drawing.

It is also to be understood, that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. Artificial tooth comprising a facette and a hard metal block pin-anchored to the rear face of said facette and projecting substantially perpendicularly from said rear face, the rear face of said facette and the abutting surfaces of said hard metal block being tightly joined against penetration of fluids, and said block comprising a main body having undercut faces and at least one complementary metal piece forming said perpendicularly projecting block together with said main body.

2. An artificial tooth system, comprising a facette, a single, rectangular hard metal block extending over a substantial part of the total width of the tooth, pin-anchored and cemented to the rear face of said facette and projecting substantially perpendicularly from said rear face, the rear face of said facette and the abutting surfaces of said hard metal block being tightly joined, a metal cover tightly encasing said hard metal block only which is secured therein by cement, and a metal tooth-back cast around said metal cover, whereby the joints between the facette, the metal block, the metal cover and the metal tooth back are tightly closed on all sides against penetration of fluids.

3. In artificial teeth, the combination of a facette, a single, unitary, rectangular hard metal block extending over a substantial part of the total width of the tooth, pin-anchored and cethe tooth back being tightly closed on all sides against penetration of liquid, without any depots of cement within said joints, and the facette being in a direct face to face contact with the 5 tooth back.

ALBERT WERKENTHIN. 

